I thought it appropriate in light of recent events on this forum (2010), to write a treatise on the scriptural basis of YHVH's righteous hatred and utter contempt for sinners and our responsibility, as believers trying to emulate our Master, to also exhibit this utter hatred and contempt for sinners.

Indeed, as this treatise will prove, righteous hatred is merely an attribute of the agape love so emphasized not only in the Brit Chadasha but in the Tanakh as well.

We must first agree that the SAME Ruach ha Kadosh which flooded YahShua ha Mashiach, also flooded David the King.  David wrote Psalm 5:5 about YHVH's specific hatred and contempt for those who work against Torah.

HATE THE SIN, LOVE THE SINNER?????

The common cliché cited above is touted in not only pagan Christianity, but also in Torah-keeping circles.  But is this cliché scriptural?

All one must do is read Psalm 5:5 to deduce that YHVH does NOT hate works of iniquity (against the Torah) exclusively, but, as the scripture reads, YHVH HATES THE VERY WORKERS AGAINST THE TORAH.

It is basic grammar to deduce that a worker against Torah is a whom, not a what.  We are dealing with moral agents, with people!  YHVH hates and loathes certain kinds of people: those who work against the Torah in their lives.

There is no other way around Psalm 5:5 unless you want to rip that page out of your Scriptures.

PSALM 7:11 AND PSALM 139

Both the above cited passages refer to YHVH's anger, and as in the case of Psalm 139, David's actual righteous anger and utter contempt for his enemies even as YHVH COMMANDS His Ruach filled servants to direct toward their enemies.

But wait, you may say!  I thought Yahshua said we are to love our enemies and bless them?  Right?

Right.  YahShua did command this.  But what we fail to realize is this: a human being flooded with the Ruach ha Kadosh can have utter righteous hatred and contempt for a sinner AND his sin while still loving that Torah-breaker and blessing him or her.

How, you may ask?

Good question.

First of all, while hate and love are opposites in the english/western mindset, they are not so in the Hebraic mindset.  Righteous hatred is really an attribute of agape love.

RIGHTEOUS HATRED DEFINED

YHVH's righteous hatred is basically this: He views a sinner this way because the Torah-breaker is totally committed to destroy the happiness of YHVH and His creation, namely the Saints.  A Torah-breakers' every waking thought, action and breath is committed toward one end: destroying the happiness and well being of others.  A Torah breaker would try to rip YHVH off His Throne if he could.  A Torah breaker is actively at war with YHVH as Romans 1 clearly depicts.

Thus, YHVH MUST HATE everything about a Torah breaker, and indeed will not only resist that Torah breaker in his life (YHVH resists the proud) but will resist him in the life to come by slamming that Torah breaker into everlasting torment with His omnipotent fist.  However, YHVH still wills the good of that Torah breaker insofar that He will do all He lawfully can to bring that Torah breaker to repentance SO THAT YHVH CAN WITHDRAW HIS RIGHTEOUS HATRED FROM THAT TORAH BREAKER and direct His mercy toward him instead.

But Psalm 103 is clear that mercy IS ONLY FOR THOSE WHO WALK IN THE COVENANT AND KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS.

In other words, one is only a recipient of YHVH's mercy if one is repentant and keeping every jot and tittle of Torah that he is able.  One who is a Torah breaker, CANNOT BE A RECIPIENT OF ANYTHING BUT RIGHTEOUS HATRED AND UTTER CONTEMPT FROM YHVH.

BRIT CHADASHA (ReNEWed Covenant) EXAMPLE

In Romans 12:9 we read that we are commanded to abhor that which is evil.  Thus, anyone who is evil, anything that is evil, we are commanded to abhor.  A Torah breaker, by definition, is that which is evil.  Some may argue that because the word "that" is used, Romans 12 cannot be referring to a person.  I say that is a cheap shot at being too "intellectual", or rather psuedo-intellectual, and we need to use our common sense: the context of Romans 12 is clearly that we are to shun and abhor all evil (humans, things, ideas, etc.)

DOES YAHSHUA TRUMP THE DAVIDIC PSALMS?

A heretic named Marcion in the 2nd century tried to pit the Tanakh against the Brit Chadasha because he was so anti-Hebrew.  To claim that somehow YahShua taught something "new" or "different" that now cancels out or makes null and void the truths in Psalms is absurd and blasphemous.

YHVH changes not as we read in Malachi and Hebrews.  Thus, His view of Torah breakers will NEVER change, nor His commandments for how Saints should treat sinners.  Again, while YahShua certainly had MORE of the SAME Ruach that David possessed, this only means YahShua magnified the need to show utter hate and contempt for the Torah breaker.  And, indeed, He did this.  He magnified all the Torah and the Prophets.  He magnified His love (and righteous hatred, as we have seen, is an attribute of agape love).

THE ABUSE OF THIS DOCTRINE

As with any scriptural truth, there are those who abuse it.  There are some who claim, in the name of righteous hatred, we can shoot abortion doctors or even exalt Islam as a valid religion.  However, neither of these groups understand what righteous hatred is all about.

Although David was indeed a bloody man, many of his hatred Psalms were written while he was fleeing Saul in the wilderness, hiding out, running for his life.  David was not killing anyone when he talked about YHVH knocking Saul's teeth out (see Psalm 3).

Violence against sinners was allowed in the Tanakh because Yisrael was under a theocracy which allowed such things to take place.  Since the Brit Chadasha, and even some time prior to Messiah's first coming, we have lived in Babylon, in exile, underneath governments that are not Yah-centered and thus do not allow violence to be done to the Torah breakers.

However, one day Messiah will return, split open the sky, descend on Mt. Olives and DO MUCH VIOLENCE TO THE WICKED as His Kingdom is fully restored to Yisrael on earth.

To take this into our own hands is wicked, vile and misses the whole point of what righteous hatred is all about.  This is why Paul Hill will someday burn in the Lake of Fire forever.

IN CONCLUSION

I can still pray for my enemies, bless them and love them in that I wish they repent, while still directing my utter contempt and hatred for everything they think, do, act and stand for.  I can utterly hate the PERSON and, indeed, if I do this, I am truly Hebraically loving that person.